latinAbroad - Overwater Tiki Huts, Bizarre Creatures: My Borneo Malaysia Getaway

It’s not every day check-in happens inside an overwater tiki hut ‘office,’ overlooking green turquoise seas.

Diving in Borneo Malaysia has been a dream of mine ever since I first heard about the region’s crown jewel, Sipadan Island.

Yet, this unexpected welcome to Sabah was more than icing on the cake: it was a firecracker that further aroused the butterflies already filling my tummy.

Post check-in, the Borneo Divers Resort staff whisked me away in a fun boat ride to what would be my home in Mabul Island for the next four days.

My Borneo Malaysia Getaway: Mabul, Kapalai, and Sipadan

I was so busy dreaming about Sipadan, I didn’t even realize the underwater gems that awaited at Mabul and Kapalai.

A rich mix of coral, reef fish, and even macro life was like a belated birthday gift to me.

After falling in love with muck diving in Lembeh Strait, this was bound to be yet another unforgettable diving getaway.

The GOLDEN Triangle

Also known as the “Amazon of the Seas,” the Coral Triangle is home to 20% of the world’s reef species.

In other words, it is the global epicenter of marine biodiversity.

Within such triangle is a smaller one, known as The Golden Triangle. It comprises three islands: Mabul, Kapalai, and Sipadan.

Arrival to my resort alone was memorable enough. Huge corals outcropped the crystal clear waters, while thousands of glassfish surrounded the long jetty.

Before I splashed into the water though, I explored the grounds and captured a gorgeous sunset.

Loungers sprinkled throughout an expansive deck. Wooden bungalows with French doors and windows.

Dreamy beds and hardwood floors. Towering ceilings in the dining hall.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics & Vid) at: latinAbroad - Overwater Tiki Huts, Bizarre Creatures: My Borneo Malaysia Getaway

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Diving Mabul, Kapalai, and Sipidan Island – Malaysia, Borneo

The diving around Mabul and the neighboring islands is fantastic. Fairly healthy coral reefs, not a lot of divers, and big fish.

I chose Seahorse Sipidan Scuba to provide my accommodations and diving with. Again they are fantastic.

But since this is about the diving I will mention Ben. He was the dive-master and was great.

Safety was paramount and his ability to spot macro nudibranches and other creatures was great.

Ben was always polite and friendly, never cut the dives short (like some dive operators), and chose good sites based on the conditions.

I would not hesitate to dive with him again.

Each day there was three dives. Two in the morning and one after lunch.

On day one we went to Kapalai House Reef which was a sloping reef with a sandy bottom.

Dive one I saw pipefish, frogfish, mantis shrimp, glass shrimp, a bunch of groupers, the list goes on. I was impressed already.

Kapalai is an artificial reef. All kinds of structures were built and sunk. These structures are in all kinds of shapes, including houses.

The ocean has taken hold of them and coral is growing all over them.

Dive two was eel garden. Like its name, there were a lot of eels, including some small stingrays which I had never seen before.

The last dive of the day was Paradise 1. I highly recommend that if you are diving Mabul you go there.

It is an artificial reef as well but had a ton of big fish.

The highlight was the Broadclub Cuttlefish. I have never had the pleasure looking at a wild cuttlefish before and they are magnificent.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Diving Mabul, Kapalai, and Sipidan Island – Malaysia, Borneo

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Complete Guide to Diving Sipadan Island

There’s only a few places on earth were you can see huge schools of whirling barracudas that engulf you, large sea turtles of different species, lurking sharks, and jammed-packed reef of angelfish, triggerfish, morays and gobies all in just one dive.

At Sipadan you will see this with every dive, many divers bring home stories of large turtles, bigger then a Volkswagen Beetle, or even stories of large groups of hammer head sharks coming up from the deep blue depths. There’s no wonder why Sipadan is recognized as the best diving in Malaysia and amongst the best in the world.

Sipadan Island is a marine paradise for divers tucked in the Celebes Sea, 35km south of Semporna off the coast of Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia and is internationally recognized amongst divers.  Unlike the other islands off Sabah’s coast, Sipadan is an oceanic island and was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct undersea volcano, which rises 600m from the seabed. The island itself is covered in dense tropical rainforest and rimmed with stunning white sand beaches.

The location of Sipadan makes it the center of the richest marine habitat in the world, the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin. More than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem. Sipadan is well known for its unusually large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles and it is not unusual for a diver to see more than 20 turtles on each dive.

It also boasts a residential school of barracuda and big-eye trevally, which often gather in the thousands forming tornado-like formations, this being one of the highlights of every diver’s Sipadan trip. As if that is not enough, divers have the possibility of seeing pelagic species such as mantas, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale shark; making each dive at Sipadan a thrilling event.

It is not only the big fish that amaze divers at Sipadan but the macro life is equally a highlight. Garden eels, leaf scorpion fish, mantis shrimps, fire gobies, and various pipefish are guaranteed at various dive sites. This diversity and abundance of marine life gives Sipadan its reputation of being one of the top five dive locations in the world.

The diving wonders of Sipadan are easily accessed from Mabul and Kapalai Islands. You are no longer able to stay directly on Sipadan Island, so if you wish to dive there you must stay on either Kapalai or Mabul and visiting Sipadan Island requires a permit. Since 2004 thee has been a daily limit on permits in an attempt to preserve and protect the island’s fragile ecosystem.

Permits are limited to 120 permits per day in total, meaning you should make arrangements far in advance if you wish to dive at Sipadan during your visit. The application for permits is done on your behalf by the dive shop you choose to dive with. The diving is quite good at the surrounding islands with more dive sites then you will be able to dive on a stay.

A recommended length of stay is 4-14 days and you may apply for multiple Sipadan permits, there is just no guarantee that you will get one. However, the minimum stay requirement for a chance to dive Sipadan is 4 days. Permits issued are only for Sipadan Island and you do not need a permit to dive around the other islands in the area.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Complete Guide to Diving Sipadan Island

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Back for more of Sipadan

I’VE been diving in the waters of the world-famous Sipadan since the late 1990s but not in the past two years. In addition to my favourite diving destination of Tenggol Island in Terengganu, I try to vary my diving destinations to include Layang Layang off Sabah’s waters and Maldives in the intervening years.

Though I can dive at other world-class diving destinations, Sipadan — the diving jewel of Sabah — has a special spot in my heart for its amazing variety of diving experiences and sights. These range from colourful underwater walls frequented by marine animals such as reef sharks, oceanic sharks and turtles as well as huge schools of bumphead parrot fish, barracuda and jack. 

In addition, nearby Mabul island and surrounding dive sites offer abundant ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish and mandarin fish which are the favourite subjects of underwater photographers. The memory of capturing them on camera and swimming with them saw me booking a five-day diving excursion in Sipadan-Mabul.

SMALL IS BETTER

In the past, I stayed at either Sipadan Water Village or Kapalai, two leading dive resorts in the area. This time, however, I choose a homestay chalet called Billabong.

One key advantage of diving with small outfits like Billabong is its ability to guarantee the number of days one can dive. Since diving is regulated by Sabah State Park authorities (to minimise the impact on Sipadan’s fragile eco-system), permits are issued to dive resorts according to the size of their operations. Bigger resorts are given 13-14 permits while the smaller chalet-types get six or seven.

While resorts welcome more than 100 divers at one time, the chalets can only accommodate half or a third this number. So the chances of diving are bigger with the latter. I was guaranteed two diving days with Billabong.

ARRIVING IN MABUL

I fly to Tawau on Malaysia Airlines from KL International Airport. The flight is 2½ hours, followed by an hour’s drive from Tawau to Semporna.

I stay overnight at Seafest Hotel in Semporna before taking a 45-minute boat ride from Semporna to Mabul. 

I have arranged to check into Mabul on a weekday as I reckon weekends are peak periods. I am right. As my boat approaches, I see only a few guests lounging around and enjoying breakfast. 

At 11am, I am ready for my first dive at Lobster Wall, a mere five-minute boat ride away.

It is a good checkout dive for my underwater camera rig and scuba gears to get all of them adjusted for the next five days of diving.

Billabong senior dive guide Tony is assigned to help me photograph Mabul critters and Sipadan pelagics.

LOBSTER WALL

Although Lobster Wall is a wall dive, it has plenty of macro subjects, especially nudibranchs. I spot a few in groups of five or more. I seldom see such prolific presence of nudibranchs at other dive sites. 

Besides nudibranchs, there are also large numbers of crocodile fish, leaf fish and scorpionfish. All these are good at camouflage to blend in with the environment and fool prey into moving within striking range.

Time flies when I am enjoying the amazing variety of marine animals and reefscape at Lobster Wall. After 63 minutes, Tony swims over with a thumbs-up sign to signal the end of our first dive.

PARADISE 2

At lunch time, another boatload of divers check into Billabong.

My second dive is delayed to accommodate the new arrivals for their check-out dive. I don’t mind the wait because the next dive site — Paradise 2 — is one of the best sites to spot macro underwater subjects.

Again, I see lots of nudibranch. It is in fact aplenty at Paradise 2. I also spot a group of squids hovering mid-water, with an octopus hiding behind reef rubbles and plenty of camouflaged scorpionfish and crocodile fish.

After 58 minutes, we surface and call it a day.

As soon as I am back on the boat, I think of the next day’s diving. Images of large schools of jacks, barracuda, bumpheads, turtles and reef sharks start creeping into my mind.

EARLY START

Back at the homestay, I see a white board announcing that the next day’s dive boat will depart at 8.30am. I feel this is a wee bit late  as the chance to catch pelagics will be gone by the time we hit the waters. There will also be many others diving, so we may not have the best moments. Generally, pelagics go hunting in the early morning.

Many resort dive boats go out early too, which means that by the time we reach Sipadan, many divers are already ahead of us and some of the schools of fish may have moved into the deep blue.

Thankfully, my appeal for earlier departure is heeded. Though I only ask for a 7am departure, I am happy that it is moved forward to 6am.

As on other diving excursions, I have a sleepless night in anticipation of the next day’s dive. I wake up every hour and eventually I jump out of bed at 5am to check my underwater camera equipment as I need to change my camera lens and housing port to enable me to take wide-angle shots of pelagics and the amazing Sipadan reefscapes. It is important to get prepared since we will not be coming back to the homestay until after we are done with our third dive of the day.

I bring along another camera to take top-side pictures of the island. Since I have two days of Sipadan diving, I choose 14-24mm lens for first day and 16mm fisheye for the second day.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Back for more of Sipadan

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Sipadan Island, the Diving Legend of Sabah Borneo

Sipadan Island, just mention the name “Sipadan” and instantly the word “diving” came into mind.  Sipadan had become synonymous with diving.  Sipadan Island is an oceanic island in the Celebes Sea off the East coast of Sabah, Borneo.

Sipadan Island was formed thousands of years ago through the slow process of living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone.  With a depth reaching 600 metres to the sea floor, Sipadan Island was surrounded by the richest marine life in the sea world.  More than 3,000 species of fishes and hundreds of coral species had made Sipadan their home ground.  Jacques Costeau, the French underwater explorer, while filming Borneo called Sipadan “an untouched piece of art”.

How could we resist the temptation of diving in one of the top legendary dive spots in the world?  It was off to Sipadan Island we went on a beautiful sunny morning.  The scenic drive from Tawau to Semporna Jetty took about an hour.  Then it was followed by a speedboat ride of around 45 minutes to reach Kapalai Island.

Since the year 2000, Sipadan Island has been designated as a wildlife and marine life sanctuary.  Therefore, diving on the island was restricted to only 120 permits per day.  Visitors were also not allowed to stay on the island overnight.  Hence, we booked and stayed at the dive resort on the nearby island of Kapalai. One may also stay at Mabul Island.

After checking into our resort accommodation, we were ready to set forth to Sipadan Island, a short 20 minutes speedboat ride from Kapalai.  But not before a safety briefing, including how to signal when underwater, was given to us.  Sipadan had strong currents sweeping past the island, and its diving experience was characterized with steep walls and magnificent aquatic life forms.

Around the island were numerous interesting spots for diving explorations, each with its unique features.  On the northern side, there were Barracuda Point and The Drop-Off/Turtle Cave; the southern side had the South Point; the western side consisted of West Ridge, Hanging Gardens, Lobster Lair and Staghorn Crest; and the eastern side had the Coral Gardens, White-Tip Avenue, Mid-Reef and Turtle Patch.

So many choices, yet so little time. Where do we start?  We decided to start at the South Point, which was considered the big stuff, as this was where the strong currents reside, attracting schools of grey reef sharks. 

The moment we entered the dark blue-turquoise water, another world opened up beneath us. Silence and tranquility, except for the beating of my heart and the steady breathing movements of lungs, greeted me in the underwater world.

Exploring the shallows of South Point, we sighted leaf scorpion fish, porcelain crabs, anemone shrimp and bubble coral shrimp.  A number of green and hawksbill turtles swam by, searching for food and mates because Sipadan had become their mating site.

Diving deeper, we came upon hundreds of colorful reef fishes, from moorish idol to red-tooth triggerfish, yellowback fusilier and a wide range of sweetlips.  The eagle rays and devil rays seen were fascinating, moving like graceful spaceships in the sea. Amazing dive indeed!

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sipadan Island, the Diving Legend of Sabah Borneo

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Exploring the majestic Borneo underwater world

 Divers enjoying the warm tropical waters

The serene sunset near the resort

SMART Resort in Mabul island off Semporna, Sabah where the writer and
other first-time divers stayed during the 'Luminox Saves the Seas' expedition

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Aziz Idris/Gerald Cuah and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By Aziz Idris

The warm and tranquil waters surrounding Borneo Island is undoubtedly among the greatest sights in the region (or perhaps the world) but it also depends on a person's preference or choice in holiday excursions.

Some are satisfied with the tranquil view of an ocean screen saver on their computers, while others opt to view the ocean from a beachside resort as they sip on some cold beverages. But ask any avid divers; they would prefer to submerge themselves far beneath the surface of the ocean, exploring a world completely different from the one we humans are familiar with.

Somewhere in the middle you will find someone like me. I love the ocean - snorkelling, swimming and playing in it - I love the water. So naturally the many divers I know are constantly telling me how much I will love diving.

During my recent media invite to cover a dive expedition initiated by Luminox at different sites around Sabah, namely Mabul, Kapalai and Sipadan, and with the expertise and patience of my 'personal' dive instructor, Jonn Lu, I took the plunge.

Jonn is a dive instructor, videographer, climber and runs an NGO dedicated to saving sharks, called 'Shark Savers' (www.sharksavers.org) in both Hong Kong and Singapore.

He told me that many people participating in the discovery have plenty to fear. Among them is not being able to remove water from their masks to get accustomed to breathing out of a regulator and being underwater for long periods of time. But, he says, "It's just a matter of learning the right ways to do things and getting used to doing them."

I learnt that about 75 per cent of participants joining the discover dive treasured their experiences and about 50 per cent end up getting certified. Knowing that I live on an island surrounded by diverse reefs, various sea creatures, shipwrecks beaming with underwater life, and people I call friends who run local dive operators, I decided that diving was something I had to do at least once.

So after I filled out the indemnity form at the SMART Resort, in Mabul, off Semporna, Jonn sat me and another two non-divers down and explained the basics.

He began by explaining that a discover dive was meant to make us more comfortable with breathing underwater. Building my appreciation for the experience, he assured that he would control most of the technical stuff.

He stressed that if not educated, a fun experience could turn into a dangerous situation. I would be wearing a scuba vest with valves and a regulator and a tank with 3,000 pounds of pressure. For a discover dive, he would watch my gauges, while I focused on breathing.

I learned how to control my buoyancy by wearing weights and using a buoyancy compensator device (BCD) that fills my vest with air. I learned about pockets of air underwater - how air in the vest will bring you to the surface and releasing the air will help me go deeper into the water.

But more importantly, I learned about air pockets like your lungs, sinuses and ears that need to be treated correctly. For instance, Jonn told me that one of the most important things to remember while diving is not to hold my breath; holding your breath can cause a lung to rupture.

Also important is equalising the pressure that builds up in the ears and sinuses. As one descends deeper into the ocean, they must equalise, or blow out the pressure that builds up, or they could rupture their eardrums.

Once I understood these safety precautions, I learned the basics of actually doing things in the water. Then I learned the hand signals, but I couldn't break the habit of giving thumbs up when someone flashes me the OK sign. A thumbs up actually means I need to go to the surface.

After strapping on our gears on the boat, it took me about five tries to fall back into the warm tropical water and another five tries before my descent into the underwater world.

Once underwater, the experience was similar to being in another planet. It was like another world, with entirely new animals, new colours and new laws of physics.

At a depth of around 10 metres, we stopped descending. The current kept us moving through the channel. We passed through an outworldly 'forest' of corals and a bright alien explosion of colours.

Fish swam through the 'forest', chasing each other and peeking out from their hiding places. As I was busy trying to 'catch' these majestic creatures with my bare hands, I forgot all about my fears. Breathing underwater came naturally to me then. We passed a field of sea creatures, which I've yet to learn their names. I say "field" because that was exactly what it looked like - they were swaying in the current like trees do in a gale.

Just as we were about to surface, I saw a sea turtle at the corner of my eye about 15 feet away. I thought I was just imagining things, that I could perhaps be 'seeing things' after having been underwater for nearly 30 minutes.

We made for the surface and called the boat. As we boarded, took our gears off, the boatmen called out "Penyu! Penyu!" or "Turtles! Turtles!", there it was, the same sea turtle I saw when while I was diving. "It's (surfaced) to catch for air," Jonn said, adding that I was very lucky to see one, as some experienced divers waited years to come across sea turtles.

Hands down, this was one of the best experiences I've had in a long, long time. I'm definitely getting myself certified and will be back for more.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend

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Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort Waste Management System To Become Case Study

SEMPORNA -- The Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort's waste management practice will be made a case study by the Ministry of Tourism as part of efforts to preserve and conserve the beauty and natural environment of islands marked as tourist destinations in the country.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the case study was important since it could be made as a guideline before the ministry comes out with a certain policy on good waste management practice for island resorts and hotels.

"We will be looking at this (waste management in Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort) as a case study to see how the ministry can look at a policy to implement such a system.

"It is not an overnight study but definitely we need the advice of consultants," she told reporters after visiting to the resort recently where she was briefed on the resort's waste management practice.

Dr Ng was convinced that the waste management system in the Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort could be practiced by other resorts as it was not so complicated but involved more mechanical aspects.

"Now I am here in a small resort with 120 capacity that can deliver. If they can deliver other resorts can deliver too," she added.

Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort is one of five dive resorts operating in the Mabul Island, about 40 minutes from the mainland of Semporna and about 15 minutes from Sipadan Island.

Another dive operator in the island, Borneo Divers Sabah, a resort with a 60 max capacity also practices an environment friendly waste management which followed the Environment Impact Assessment guidelines.

Continue reading at: Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort Waste Management System To Become Case Study
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Sabah, a Water Wonderland

Shame on me. My mobile phone has already buzzed with a text from Dean Alston (my phone often buzzes in the night, when I am away, with dire and humorous warnings from our cartoonist of the fates that may befall me in foreign climes).

I wasn't asleep this time. I was lying in a room big enough to host a table-tennis tournament, on stilts over the ocean off the north-east coast of Sabah. With all the windows open, rejoicing in the lack of insects out here, I was listening to the fans whir in the warm night, and the water lap around the piles, the cries of the heron, and a more distant one of a baby in another room, and outbreak of singsong Asian voices and the odd explosion of fish-frenzy in the water. One of the staff passed quietly along the jetty on a bicycle - like running a finger along a note-less piano keyboard.

It is a languid, still night, with barely a breath of movement in the air, and I have dined on rice and salad and supped a Tiger beer at the Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort's big restaurant. Out here, 100m along a wooden boardwalk, sort-of at sea, surrounded by reef and dive sites. Happy and relaxed.

But, shame on me, I reply to Alston (trust me, one should never reply to Alston's texts - it's asking for trouble), and with my brain now ticking over, I start to list all the things I need to do in the morning. And my brain starts composing emails. Shame on me. I give up, get up, get the laptop out and sit outside on the back deck, in the night, tapping those emails up and into the drafts box, wearing the head torch so I can see the keys to type.

Well, I start to.

But the night takes over. The deck is about 4m above the gently lapping water, and big - 7mx4m. It is slatted and there are lights underneath, so I can see the water between each slat, and the floor of the ocean under the shallow water.

A pipefish the size of my leg cruises past, with three more, slightly smaller, in tow behind. I look over the rail and the floor is dotted with starfish.

A parrot fish. A small stingray. Myriad clouds of tiny but colourful reef fish.

It is the sort of night you want to relish. You don't want to go to sleep.

All around me, the other over-water suites are quiet, and I just lie out here on the deck, watching the fish, feeling the night, letting the stillness soak into me.

Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort is a 45-minute boat trip from Semporna, which is 70-odd kilometres, or an hour and a half in a minibus, from Tawau, on the east coast of the Malaysian State of Sabah, on the northern end of Borneo. Tawau is an 80-minute flight from Kota Kinabalu, which is five hours and 45 minutes direct with Malaysia Airlines from Perth.

So, now we know where we are.

But where are we?

Well, we are in one of the world's most respected dive areas, and that is what most people on Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort are here for. The area is widely considered one of the world's top five dive destinations, with myriad fish, turtles, shallow corals and a 700m drop into the Celebes Sea.

Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort lists 28 close-by dive sites, from blue spotted garden to sweet-tips table, twin peak to coral garden. All can be reached in a few minutes by boat. Diving around Kapalai is shallow and easy.

There's macro, small-fish and reef life around Kapalai, big fish and turtles at nearby Sipadan and muddy bottoms at Mabul.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sabah, a Water Wonderland
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Scuba Diving Malaysia

Malaysia is rated for many years by both underwater cineastes as also underwater photographers as the number one diving top spot in the world.

Actually this is not true, it is not Malaysia which is rated so high, but one diving area called Pulau Sipadan, which offers some of the most amazing macro and micro fish life in the entire world.

Malaysia exists of 3 territories, Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. All areas offer diving and some places are better then others.

Diving Sabah

Sabah is Malaysia's hotspot for diving, with islands Pulau Mabul , Pulau Kapalai, Pulau Sipadan, Pulau Labuan and many others, it brings the best diving in the world. Some islands stick from the seafloor like pinnacles, and bring large fish life from the deep. Currents can be strong and these areas are not really for the starting diver, however Open Water courses are offered.

Diving Sarawak

Sarawak has a plentiful rivers, which all run out into murky estuaries, and the diving industry has hardly been developed in Sarawak. Off shore there is some good diving to be done, but it often takes a long and costly boat ride. Miri and area offers a ore friendly underwater world. Pulau Satang close to Kuching is another hotspot in Sarawak.

Continue reading at: Scuba Diving Malaysia
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Picture perfect day with Sea Gypsies in Semporna

Bajau children playing in a boat

Coral and sea creatures can be seen through the crystal clear waters

Tall coconut trees provide shade from the bright sunlight

Diving homestay where we stayed at Mabul Island

Bajau family relaxing during sunset on Maiga Island

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Azrol Azmi and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By Azrol Azmi

If you are planning an island resort getaway this coming school holidays in March, look no further than Semporna and its surrounding islands, which offer stunning white sandy beaches and picturesque views.

Imagine crystal clear waters, long stretches of white sandy beaches, cool breeze blowing from the sea and tall coconut trees providing shade from the bright tropical sun as you unwind on one of the islands.

Semporna, a town located in Tawau division on Sabah's east coast, is inhabited mainly by ethnic Bajau Laut, also known as Sea Gypsies, many of whom live in sprawling stilt villages above the water or in traditional Lepa boats.

Semporna is a gateway to the some of the best dive sites in the world which are situated about an hour's boat ride away.

Among the islands that can be visited are Mabul, Kapalai and of course, Sipadan surrounded by the Sulawesi Sea which needs no introduction to avid divers from around the world.

There are other islands with equally fascinating dive sites. Tourism Malaysia is working hard to promote the lesser-known but equally beautiful dive sites in Sabah such as Si Amil, Mantabuan, Sibuan and Bohey Dulang.

As many as 101 dive spots have been identified by a team of divers who hope to bring greater attention to Sabah's other dive site jewels. These sites are listed in the Sabah 101 Dive Treasures brochure.

I recently went on a photo expedition with a group of friends with the same interest to capture the beautiful scenery at some of these islands.

We started our journey driving from Brunei Darussalam to Kota Kinabalu before catching a flight from Kota Kinabalu International Airport to Tawau Airport, (which is the nearest airport to Semporna) before proceeding on an hour's drive to Semporna town in a tour bus. Enquiries at the airport revealed that public buses and taxis are available to transport people from Tawau to Semporna at a reasonable fee.

In Semporna, we made our way to the public jetty where our friend from Tawau, Muslianshah, who oversaw our stay during our photo expedition, awaited with a boat ready to take us to our first island, Maiga.

We made a quick stop at Bohey Dulang island to take a closer look at the Bajau or Sea Gypsies. We learnt that the Bajau community made their living from fishing and farming seaweed which they sell in Semporna.

Maiga is not well-equipped to receive tourists as the island does not have the basic amenities of running water and electricity. We were told that we would be "camping out" but we actually slept in a makeshift hall built by the Bajau.

We visited other islands before finally staying in Scubajeff-Sipadan diving homestay at Mabul Island, which is one of the more popular islands among diving tourists and beachcombers.

Mabul is well-equipped to receive tourists and even has a resort as well as several diving homestays to cater for "budget" divers.

Mabul is situated just 25 minutes from Sipadan. Running water and electricity are available on Mabul and a few shops selling everyday items can be seen in a small village populated by the Bajau.

More photos can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/azrolazmi and look for Semporna set.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend
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The Best Spot for a Scuba Diving Vacation in Borneo

The best spot for a Scuba Diving Vacation in Borneo is without a doubt at Sipadan island and its surrounding waters. Sipadan island is still one of the world's most famous dive destinations more than 25 years after it was 'discovered' by oceans' greatest ambassador, Jacques Cousteau.

Cousteau fell in love with Sipadan so much that he decided to let the Calypso's anchor lay there longer than it had on any other expedition to have a longer scuba diving expedition and vacation.

The unique island is Malaysia's only oceanic island. It was formed by living coral and grew on top of an extinct undersea volcano, which is an isolated column of rock rising defiantly 600 to 700m from the sea floor about 10km south of the continental shelf. Sipadan is still one of the world's most diverse and interesting reefs with a rich marine life.

Besides Sipadan, the other two nearby islands, Mabul and Kapalai, are also excellent dive spots and spectacular on their own right. Mabul is a mere 20min speed boat ride away from Sipadan. Mabul is the most developed at the moment in terms of tourist facilities since the Sabah State government prohibited overnight stay at Sipadan in early 2005.

Kapalai is about 15 minutes by boat from Sipadan and is the smallest island compared to Sipadan and Mabul. Its accommodations is basically a water village as they are mostly built on sturdy stilts on the shallow sandbanks of the Ligitan Reefs and structures erected on water.

Continue reading at: The Best Spot for a Scuba Diving Vacation in Borneo
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Fascinating, affordable Mabul

The removal of all structures, including the dive resorts, on Sipadan Island has greatly benefited the nearby islands of Mabul and Kapalai.

These islands were not affected by the government order to completely move out all man-made structures from Sipadan by the end of 2004. It was a bold move aimed at conserving the fragile ecosystem on the tiny 12ha island which had become congested with tourists after consistently being voted one of the top five dive sites in the world.

I decided to make a brief visit to Mabul Island recently after reading that it had become a popular destination for both divers and photographers from around the world. A catchy slogan — “Now everyone can stay at Mabul Island” — by one locally run “backpacker resort” made me want to go there even more badly.

After two nights in Sandakan, I boarded a long-distance bus to Tawau. The 320km journey took a long and torturous six hours, with just one 20-minute stop in between at a roadside restaurant in Lahad Datu to stretch my legs and have some refreshment.

In Tawau, I made arrangements for accommodation in Semporna, the gateway to Mabul and all the other islands in the Sulawesi Sea. At noon the next day, I was in a rusty van jam-packed with 15 other passengers leaving for Semporna, 105km away. An hour and a half later, the van pulled up at an open space behind some pathetic-looking shophouses and the driver announced, “Semporna, Semporna . . . sudah sampai (we have reached Semporna).”

I asked the driver for directions to Dragon Inn, a hotel built on stilts in the clear and shallow waters of Semporna Bay. It turned out to be a short five-minute walk away at the end of Causeway Bridge. A helpful Filipino reception worker at Dragon Inn recommended Uncle Chang’s Lodge for my tour of Mabul Island next day.

According to her, Uncle Chang is a legendary personality on Semporna, especially among the tourism and diving communities. Having gained experience in his early days working for dive operators in the area, the man ventured out on his own more then 10 years ago and established Borneo Jungle River Island Tour Sdn Bhd, which owns Uncle Chang’s Sipadan Mabul Dive Lodge.

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Diving Sites in Sabah

Divers will testify that Sabah’s diving sites are exciting, fascinating and not readily forgotten.

This is especially true for those who managed to take in the marvels of coral gardens, fishes, caverns, turtles and a dugong or two.

A diving spot in Sabah well known in the international diving community is the Sipadan Island. It boast diverse marine life and those who have dived there will sing the praises of colourful fishes, corals reefs and other sights that only the marine world can give.

North of this island is another diving site that offers a different world of diving opportunities from most other diving locations.

Here is a macro diving paradise where you will be able to find rare macro-world inhabitants hard to find at other dive sites. It is known as one of the best muck diving site among the international diving community.

Muck diving is a term used to described diving with restricted visibility especially in shallow sites with sandy bottoms.

The site in question is Kapalai, a water village style resort perched atop a splendid reef that borders the rich and deep Celebes Sea.

Although not far from Sipadan, Kapalai scuba diving itself is completely different.

Kapalai is considered a macrolovers paradise. This does not necessarily mean poor visibility but due to the various interesting inhabitants such as frogfish, blueringed octopus and cuttlefish.

Most dives here are nice and gentle in warm, relatively shallow water, so are perfect for the less experienced, as well as yielding sufficient rewards for experienced divers.

Diving in Kapalai is nice as the gentle sea breezes cool the divers as they come up from the waters.

The chalets there also give them a sense of freedom and comfort while according them the proximity to amazing diving.

Courtesy of: New Sabah Times 'In' Sites - Sabah Travel and Leisure Guide

Scuba Diving Video off Kapalai Island

The following is a beautifully taken video by one "jasonlongcs", which I'm sure scuba divers will be interested to watch.

Kapalai is an island resort built on stilts in the middle of the sea and is one of three world-class dive destinations located within sight of each other are situated in the northeast of Borneo (or East Coast of Sabah). The other two dive sites are the world famous Sipadan and Mabul islands.

Enjoy the video and many thanks to "jasonlongcs" for the great footage.



More info: Scuba Diving Vacation in Malaysia Borneo